Wattle Tree House has welcomed a multimillion-dollar state government announcement to secure rental housing and support services for rough sleepers across NSW.
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Last week, the state government announced $36 million for the homeless sector, half of which will be used to purchase units from the private rental market to accommodate homeless people who have been placed in hotels during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The other half will go into rehabilitation services for homeless people, such as mental health counselling, drug and alcohol treatment and link ups to the National Disability Insurance Scheme [NDIS].
Wattle Tree House acting team leader Kerry Vincent said he's eager to see what the funding will mean for local homelessness.
"I think it'll allow us to access extra services and support for clients," Mr Vincent said.
"In addition, it could help provide us with more options for rough sleepers though the rental market to ensure they have stable accommodation."
Mr Vincent said Wattle Tree House has faced plenty of difficulties during the COVID-19 period, both with rough sleepers and staff logistics.
"During COVID-19, we've had an extra 40 rough sleepers put into temporary accommodation, and we've put some extra funding ourselves to get more people off the street," he said.
"The process has been tricky with the majority of our staff working from home, but we've luckily had protocols in place to manage clients around the disruptions."
Mr Vincent said homelessness looks different in regional areas like Bathurst as opposed to Sydney, where homeless people have a more visible street presence.
"Most homeless people in Bathurst are couch surfers staying with friends on a temporary basis," he said.
"There's also plenty of people who live in tents, some of whom are comfortable with that lifestyle, but it doesn't stop us from offering them support nonetheless."
Wattle Tree House works closely with the state government to support individuals and families who are homeless and at risk of homeless, and is run by the Orange Local Aboriginal Land Council.
The house also incorporates the Bathurst Women and Children's Refuge.
"We prioritise children for accommodation as they're often coming from a broken home and we can't have them living on the street," Mr Vincent said.
"We have around 90 to 100 clients on our books at the moment, and we'll have to wait and see how this funding will help our cause."
Wattle Tree House is located at 95 Rankin Street.
According to the 2016 census, NSW was home to 32 per cent of Australia's homeless population.